MORIARTY, N.M. (KRQE) – A New Mexico school has been holding a gun raffle fundraiser for years, but the idea is rubbing some parents the wrong way.
The Estancia Valley Classical Academy’s fundraising arm, made up of staff and parents, hosts several fundraisers a year to go towards a new school building.
The big-ticket items at the 2017 “Made in America” fundraiser are a gun and a rifle.
People living near the school did not want to comment, but some in Albuquerque thought it was a good idea.
“I think it’s good for the kids to build familiarity with the firearms and know what they’re doing,” said Albuquerque resident Colt Noah.
The Public Education Department says the state has no control over the fundraising efforts, and that it is up to the individual districts or school to decide how it fundraises.
The state only tracks the money raised to make sure it is being used properly.
That means the charter school and the foundation have the final say.
The school website shows the foundation held gun raffles at least since 2015.
News 13 reached out to the principle and to the fundraising arm for comment about the fundraiser but did not hear back.
Estancia Valley Classical Academy is a charter school, which means it uses public funds, but is independently run.
Other districts and schools do have rules on fundraisers. Parents in Edgewood say when they tried to raffle off a scope for a gun, they were told it was not allowed.